Special Education Today

6 August 2010

Justice to Filipino Migrant Teachers

Filed under: Filipino Teachers, Teacher Sol's Lifestory, Teachers/ Educators — Maria Angala, NBCT @ 12:34 am
Dear Filipino Teachers,

Kayang kaya basta sama sama! May our colleagues in Louisiana be the model of strength, unity, and courage for those who are still voiceless...

Joint Press Release
August 5, 2010

Filipino teachers file class suit vs oppressive recruiters

Filipino migrant teachers in Louisiana today filed a class lawsuit against Universal Placement International (UPI) and its Philippine based partner, PARS International for various offenses ranging from racketeering, human trafficking, extortion and mail and wire fraud.

Hundreds of Filipino migrant teachers who are working under H1-B visa and are deployed in several school districts in Louisiana are represented in the class action lawsuit. The plaintiffs are spearheaded by the Filipino Educators Federation (FEF) of Louisiana , a group formed to organize the victims of the recruitment agencies and pursue efforts against these same agencies.

Also named as respondents in the complaint are Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro and Hothello “Jack” Navarro of UPI, Emilio Villarba of PARS International; UPI’s law firm Silverman and Associates and lawyer Robert Silverman; and the East Baton Rouge School District and three of its former and one current officers.

The lawsuit arouse from the illegal and highly exorbitant amount that were charged to the Filipino teachers. The recruitment agencies were never transparent and always seemed to come up with additional payments. When teachers attempt to complain or question the policies of the agency they were threatened to be sued or fired or deported back to the Philippines . Aside from the illegal charges, the teachers were intimidated to sign lopsided contracts.

During a press conference held to announce the filing of the suit, a press statement was read by Ingrid Jomento-Cuz, FEF President. “We never imagined that an oppressive racketeering trap was laid before us. Universal Placement International or UPI and its Philippine-based conduit, PARS International, created a non-transparent scheme that starts with earning your trust, then proceeds with a series of payment collection laced with subtle intimidation and then followed through with fraud, coercion and open extortion. We were herded onto a path, a slowly constricting path, where the moment you realize that something is not right, you were already way past the point of no return.”
“This oppressive scheme of UPI and PARS wouldn’t have been totally successful without the knowledge, tolerance and support from individuals who acted on behalf of the School System. We cannot deny the fact that they cooperated with the recruiters or failed to object to actions that they knew were highly questionable if not downright illegal.”

While the East Baton Rouge School District was named as one of the respondents, Jomento-Cruz underscored that they have no animosity against their current employer. “We would like to make it clear that we harbor no ill will towards the Louisiana School System… The new superintendent has paid attention to our concerns and has closely monitored the problems we have encountered…Let me also use this opportunity to declare once again that we continue to have a strong commitment to our students, and will continue to serve the district for we believe that the actions by some individuals within the EBR School District do not represent the values of the institution and the people of Louisiana.”
“The exploitation of migrant workers is an ongoing and a growing problem here in the US . This lawsuit is again another arena of battle to expose these entities that are out to exploit migrant labor. PM joins the call for stronger legislation that will ensure the protection of the rights of migrant labor.”, said Ian Seruelo, US Liaison officer of the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM Labor Party)
According to the FEF statement, the objective of the legal action “is to ensure that these exploitative practices end now. We do not want this to happen to any other teachers who come here from the Philippines or anywhere else. And we can not stop these oppressive schemes unless everyone involved understand that they cannot simply look the other way when they encounter abusive practices by recruiters.”
Representing the Filipino teachers is a legal team assembled by the Southern Poverty Law Center and American Federation of Teachers (AFT). AFT and Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) have been instrumental in the struggle of the Filipino teachers. In the Philippines , PM and the PSLINK labor confederation are assisting the teachers’ efforts.



22 April 2010

NBCTs among 5 selected for teaching hall of fame

Filed under: DC Public Schools, Filipino Teachers, Special Education, Teacher Sol's Lifestory, Teachers/ Educators, WTU — Maria Angala @ 8:17 pm
This is my 6th year here in the US, my 6th year of teaching in DCPS. In my early years here, I was inspired and motivated by some of the most outstanding veteran teachers in my school at Jefferson MS to be the exceptional teacher that I can be. Teachers like my colleague, Dr. Alesia Slocoumb-Bradford whom I currently work with in a co-teaching environment, inspired me to become an accomplished teacher.

Dr. Alesia Slocumb-Bradford, is our seventh-grade pre-algebra teacher at Jefferson Middle School. She is a teacher for 23 years; she believes the most productive relationship between teachers and students is one where there is respect, communication, comfort and a shared sense of understanding of goals for students and teachers. For me, she is a master educator in the truest sense of the word: an excellent mentor, she plays the role of teacher, friend, guide, coach, and role model to us teachers in my school. Her teaching style shows precision - no random cuts, no random comments, she is very consistent with the routines and procedures from the beginning until the end of our class. With all of us Jefferson family, teachers and staff gathered at the "Classroom of the Future", Dr. Slocoumb was honored yesterday into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. I hugged her and whispered softly "You inspire me".

The honorees are Linda Evanchyk of Florida, Erlene Nelson of Pennsylvania, Warren Phillips of Massachusetts, Darrell Woods of Ohio and Alesia Slocumb-Bradford of Washington, D.C. "There are 12,000 teachers in the district of Philadelphia," said Nelson, a retired teacher and NBCT. "If every teacher dedicated themselves to save a child each year, we would save more than 12,000 students, and what an impact it would have on society." Philadelphia Daily News

Four out of the five teachers selected this year for induction into the National Teachers Hall of Fame are National Board Certified Teachers.

Right after her reception, I drove to another event for the 2009 National Board Certified Teachers hosted by the WTU and Central Office; I was one of the seven NBCT honorees.

As I was listening to the remarks of my colleague, I remember my grandmother who is a daughter of a World War II Lt. Colonel and one of the strongest leaders in the medical field back home in the Philippines. She told me, "Maria, always fight for your dreams, and remember if your dreams are big enough the problems don't really matter". There is a noble reason why I did not become a doctor like her, or the first lady cadet at the Philippine Military Academy, or an enterpreneur...it is my destiny to become an educator.

18 January 2010

To the Filipino Teachers

Filed under: Filipino Teachers, Teacher Sol's Lifestory, Teachers/ Educators — Maria Angala @ 11:46 pm
Dear colleagues,
It is Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday today here in the US, and as I was reading once more his immortal speech "I Have A Dream", a movie of the same slavery, bondage, injustice and oppression that our Filipino ancestors endured was playing in my mind. I guess I am presently too preoccupied with so many trivial things happening around me that I have buried our history into my subconscious. As if reminding me, a voice of our own heroic leader back home in the Philippines resonated in my head...

...At the vanguard of progress in this part of the world I stand - a forlorn figure in the eyes of some, but not one defeated and lost...

...Out of the lush green of these seven thousand isles, out of the songs of the farmers at sunrise when they go to labor in the fields, out of the limitless patience of teachers in the classrooms, I shall make the pattern of my pledge:

I am a Filipino born of freedom and I shall not rest until freedom shall have been added unto my inheritance - for myself and my children's children - forever. - Carlos P. Romulo


It is no coincidence that CNN's 2009 Hero of the Year is a Filipino Teacher. Indeed it runs through our veins...heroism, valor and persistence is the insignia of our race.



.

.

.

.

Are you a Filipino Teacher? Here's an invitation...

24 November 2009

CNN’s Hero of the Year is a Filipino Teacher

Filed under: Filipino Teachers, Teachers/ Educators, hearing Impairments — Maria Angala @ 6:47 am
I woke up very early this morning at 4am feeling so restless. I feel like I'm in a crossroad, I don't understand. I was working the whole day yesterday but my mind was somewhere else. Just a few minutes ago, my husband shared me this news: Yesterday, Efren Peñaflorida won over nine other "CNN heroes," seven of whom were American. He is a Filipino teacher.

In his acceptance speech at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CNN quoted him as saying: "Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell my co-volunteers... you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."



I hope to meet him one day. He is the teacher that I want to be.

5 July 2009

Maria Angala Receives Outstanding Special Education Teacher Honor

Filed under: DC Public Schools, Filipino Teachers, Special Education, Teachers/ Educators, Technology in Education, WTU — ms.angala @ 11:39 am
From the WTU E-Newsletter:

The Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) would like to congratulate Maria Angala on receiving the honor of Outstanding Special Education Teacher for the school year 2008-2009 from the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET).

NASET is a national organization dedicated to assisting teachers in the field of special education, and this honor is awarded to teachers who demonstrate outstanding achievement in the special education field.

Angala serves on the WTU Executive Board as the Vice-President of Special Education and works as an Inclusion teacher for 6th, 7th and 8th grades at Jefferson MS. She has been with DC Public Schools for the past 6 years and decided to go into the teaching profession because of her love for children.

"I think that the key to effective instruction is understanding how your students learn and finding the best way to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge for them," stated Angala. A few months ago, Angala won a Promethean ActivClassroom Board through a national blogging competition.

Angala's blog "Digital Anthology" is an online extension of her classroom where she posts information about her class and is a resource for information for her students, parents and other special education teachers. Her other blog "Teacher Sol" is solely for educators and contains special education resources, news and issues.

Angala is a National Board Certification candidate in the Exceptional Needs Specialist category which is the highest level of certification for educators in the country.

You can follow Angala on Twitter by clicking here.

1st Filipino Teacher to Receive the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award

Filed under: DC Public Schools, Filipino Teachers, Teachers/ Educators, WTU — ms.angala @ 11:33 am
From the WTU E-Newsletter:

Aris Pangilinan, along with 20 other teachers from across the region, was recently presented with the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award. The Washington Post presents this award to exceptional teachers in the Washington, DC area, and along with this honor, award winners each receive $3,000.

Pangilinan, a math teacher at HD Woodson SHS where he has been working for the past five years, is the first Filipino to receive this award. Born in San Juan, Batangas, he came to the United States in 2003. He encourages his students to study and appreciate the concept of math through innovative and best teaching practices.

"I am so blessed to be one of the five teachers in the system to be a recipient of the most recent educator internship opportunity," said Pangilinan. "Filipino teachers now teaching in the US continue to make a difference in the lives of young people and the community where they belong."

Pangilinan was also selected to be an intern in a new program within the DCPS central office where he will have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process at the central office and to gain first-hand experience in urban education reform at a macro-level. He has received several other awards, including: DCPS Distinguished Educator and Excellence in Education Award, Best Buy Teach DC Award and One of the Best Teachers of HD Woodson Senior High School.

To read more about other Agnes Meyer Award winners, click here.

1 July 2009

D.C. Teachers Become Central Office Fellows

Filed under: DC Public Schools, Filipino Teachers, Professional Development Trainings, Teachers/ Educators — ms.angala @ 6:14 pm

From The Washington Post's blog, DC Wire:

Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, who presided over the firing of 250 teachers last month, is also continuing her attempts to build bridges with District educators by bringing six of them into her office for a five-week summer fellowship.

The teachers are: Aris Pangilinan (math), HD Woodson High School, a winner of the 2009 Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher award presented by The Washington Post Educational Foundation; Brooke Buerkle (social studies), Columbia Heights Educational Campus, named Outstanding First Year Teacher by DCPS in 2008; Cynthia Robinson (first grade), H.D. Cooke Elementary, who serves on the board of the Capital Area National Association for Bilingual Education; Lynn Lahti-Hommeyer (elementary science resource), Bruce-Monroe Elementary@ Parkview, honored at a 2006 White House ceremony with a presidential award for excellence in mathematics and science teaching; Margaret Slye (literacy professional developer), Scott Montgomery Elementary, a former Teach For America corps member, and Tondra J. Odom-Owens (fifth grade), Savoy Elementary, who co-wrote the current fourth grade learning standards in reading and language arts for DCPS.

Two of the well deserving Fellows are colleagues close to my heart, Aris Pangilinan who's making us Filipino teachers proud, and Tondra Owens (NBCT) who was with my National Board Certification class with George Washington University.
Did I apply? Yes. Did I make it? Obviously no :( I need to do better in phone interviews; there'll be next time.

10 June 2009

School board approves hiring math, science teachers from Philippines

Filed under: Filipino Teachers, Teachers/ Educators — ms.angala @ 7:16 am

An Alabama school board has voted in favor of hiring eight science and math teachers from Manila, Philippines, to fill vacancies in those areas. Officials are anticipating as many as 50 vacancies in math and science teaching positions in the upcoming school year, and four administrators traveled to Manila to recruit the educators to fill some of those positions. Montgomery Advertiser (Ala.)/Associated Press

5 August 2008

Reminiscing…

Filed under: Filipino Teachers, Teacher Sol's Lifestory, Teachers/ Educators — Shane @ 10:24 am
I was holding back myself for the past two days from reading this Sunday's The Washington Post's Education Review which tells about us...the Filipino teachers. Less than five years ago in October 2003, I was in the exact situation as my co-Filipino teacher, Mabel Ventura. I have read this over and over, there is a film documentary by Ramona Diaz already, Baltimore Sun's documentary of Aileen Mercado (my friend), and I have already almost finished writing my book of my own adventures as a Filipina teacher in an inner city public school here in Washington DC.

I couldn't help myself, tears were rolling down my cheeks again this morning as I finished reading The WaPo magazine...and I remember my first year...

*************
This was my classroom last year.

The road to success is rough; you have to pave it yourself.

- Arnold Glasow -


My first year of teaching has been a difficult initiation for me, most especially because I was teaching Junior High school Special Education in an inner city school here in Washington DC. Aside from their diagnosis of having learning disability, oppositional, defiant and conduct disorder, they were going through adolescence identity crisis, and they were having personal challenges with their home environment.

Back home, in a third world country, I often dreamed of using a better technology to aide me in teaching my special needs students. I was excited when I got here and saw two working computers in my classroom, which was already good for me, but not good enough if I was going to use them as assistive technology tools for my students.

Everyday, I was in constant search for ways on how to establish rapport with my challenging students, to get them to cooperate with me, and to engage them with using technology to accommodate their special learning needs. I was in the "trial and error" stage but I was determined to do what it takes to maximize their hidden potentials.

One day, I was sitting at my computer desk after class while waiting for one of my students. I gave her extended time to finish her classwork.


After a few minutes, she gave me her worksheet. She stood there reading aloud my friend’s email to me.
She couldn’t understand Tagalog.

I translated it for her. "Prices of food and other stuff are just not affordable anymore down here..."
She asked me if she could open her email from my computer.
I let her.
I asked her for her email address.
Then, I wrote her a hello message that night.

The next morning she opened her email from my desk. She announced to the class,
“Hey! Miss Angala wrote me an email!”

It was the first time that she got a personal message from a teacher.
From then on, I get emails from my students, from hello’s, to get well soon’s, to a weekend story, to goodbye’s. Some of them wrote me goodbye poems days before the end of the school year. One of their parents wrote me a thank you letter through email.

Even my husband who reads my email inbox from time to time was surprised.
He said, “I thought your students were mean to you?”
I said, “They were, but not anymore”.




****************


That was almost five years ago. I am better equipped now, and I keep learning many new things for my professional development. We'll be back to school in less than a couple of weeks from now. It will always be challenging as it was when I was a first year teacher. Sometimes it gets worse. But I am better prepared now and have effective strategies for instruction and classroom management. More importantly, I make sure that I stay focused on the goal: Success...for my students and myself!

4 August 2008

Top Filipino teachers encounter new challenges in U.S. schools

Filed under: Filipino Teachers, Teachers/ Educators — Shane @ 6:34 pm
My friends and colleagues, have been calling me and emailing this article from The Washington Post which was published yesterday. As I read what she's been through, I see myself again...there's no difference, we went through the same challenges, we survived, and thrived! My story is no secret here ...
Although our new salaries are ample in comparison, veteran educators like my Filipino teacher colleague Mabel Ventura recruited from the Philippines to teach in U.S. school systems at first struggled with the cultural differences surrounding student behavior and parental response. The Washington Post

Powered by WordPress

Bad Behavior has blocked 364 access attempts in the last 7 days.